KUALA LUMPUR — Julau MP Larry Sng has claimed that he left PKR in 2021 partly due to what he described as “excessive pressure” from the Inland Revenue Board’s (LHDN) special unit over his finances.
In a Facebook post on Saturday, the Parti Bangsa Malaysia (PBM) president said he would likely have remained with PKR if not for the situation involving the tax authority, local media reported.
“I suppose it is now safe for me to say here that had it not been for the excessive pressure by IRB’s (LHDN’s) special unit into my finances, I probably would have still been in PKR today.
“Anyways, that’s the past,” he said.
When contacted, Sng said the PKR leadership at the time was aware of the matter but claimed he decided to leave after receiving no assistance.
“I am absolutely certain that the investigation was politically motivated.
“I was the Sarawak PKR chief at the time, which was the opposition then,” he said.
Sng also alleged that LHDN had been “plucking figures from nowhere” when the investigation began, though he did not provide further details.
Sng’s remarks came while commenting on the decision by former PKR vice-presidents Tian Chua and Dr Xavier Jayakumar to rejoin the party.
He said he was surprised to see both figures attending PKR’s annual congress in Melaka last Saturday, adding that Tian had approached his table during the event.
Sng said he jokingly asked Tian where his PKR uniform was, unaware that he had already rejoined the party.
“As for Xavier, I didn’t get to speak to him but nonetheless I have already seen him in the PKR Congress a year or two ago as a guest,” he said.
He said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s formal welcome for Tian and Xavier, among others, appeared to confirm speculation that the two had reapplied to join PKR after the formation of the Unity Government.
“I sincerely wish them both well and given their level of experience they may assist Anwar at a time when some of his senior MPs and party leaders have resigned or are contemplating to do so,” he said.
Reflecting on his time in PKR, Sng said the experience gave him valuable insight into the importance of being part of a national political party, as well as the challenges of serving both in government and opposition.
“As a former PKR member myself, I do value the experience gained by being part of a national party and getting to know national leaders from West Malaysia personally. I suppose this is perhaps the best lesson learned.
“It has also given me insight and appreciation into the importance of being in government and the pains of being in opposition,” he said.
Sng, who is serving his second term as Julau MP, said his focus now was on strengthening PBM and contributing meaningfully to the government.
He previously said his decision to leave PKR was made after consulting voters in his constituency, describing it as “a collective decision”.
At the time, Sng said Julau was among the poorest constituencies in the country and that he struggled to serve effectively due to limited resources while being part of the opposition.
Following his departure from PKR, he switched support to the Perikatan Nasional government led by then prime minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin before taking over the leadership of PBM, which was rebranded from the Sarawak Workers Party in late 2021.
Sng also praised Anwar’s economic management, although he said improvements were still needed.
“As long as he delivers on his promises to the people, perhaps there is still time to regain people’s trust,” he said. – August 18, 2026